Relationship between life events and psychosomatic complaints during adolescence/youth: a structural equation model approach

Purpose: To assess the contribution of life events (LEs) on psychosomatic complaints in adolescents/youths taking into account a set of socioeconomic variables.

Methods: We tested a conceptual model implemented with structural equation modeling on longitudinal data from a representative sample of adolescents/youths and parents. Psychosomatic complaints were measured by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children scale and hypothesized to be affected by: (a) contextual factors at distal level: financial resources, home life and social support (KIDSCREEN), and parent baseline mental health (SF-12); (b) triggering factors: LEs (Coddington Life Events Scales, with two typologies: desirability and familiarity); (c) intermediate factors: same as distal level but measured at follow-up; (d) immediate cause: mental health at proximal level (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at baseline and follow-up); and (e) gender.

Results: The structural model yielded a good fit (Comparative Fit Index = .95, Tucker-Lewis Index = .93, Root Mean Square Error = .04). Boys showed more psychosomatic complaints than girls (β = .40, p < .05). Girls reported experiencing more LEs (p < .05). Only undesirable LEs showed a significant direct negative effect on psychosomatic complaints, which became nonsignificant when mediated by home life and mental health. Undesirable LEs had a remaining indirect effects on psychosomatic complaints (βindirect = -.10, p < .05) via Home Life and Mental health, which were protective factors (β = .41 and β = -.15, p < .05).

Conclusions: The experience of undesirable LEs increases the probability of psychosomatic complaints, but the final effect would be determined by previous levels of home life and mental health stability.